[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":183},["ShallowReactive",2],{"headerMenu":3,"blog-article:keep-it-classy-why-doctors-shouldn-t-discuss-rates":38,"footerMenu":167},{"items":4,"title":37},[5,11,16,21,27],{"internalPage":6,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":10},{"parentPage":7,"slug":8,"title":9},null,"jobs","Find independent physician jobs and telemedicine jobs","Jobs",{"internalPage":12,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":15},{"parentPage":7,"slug":13,"title":14},"physicians","Claim Your Independence as a Physician","Physicians",{"internalPage":17,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":20},{"parentPage":7,"slug":18,"title":19},"hire","Hire independent locums physicians","Employers",{"internalPage":22,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":26},{"parentPage":23,"slug":24,"title":25},{"slug":13,"title":14},"telemedicine","Telemedicine Jobs","Telemedicine",{"internalPage":7,"link":28,"subItems":29,"title":36},"#",[30,33],{"internalPage":7,"link":31,"title":32},"/blog","Blog",{"internalPage":7,"link":34,"title":35},"/podcast","Podcast","Resources","Header",{"article":39,"related":149},{"_createdAt":40,"_id":41,"_rev":42,"_type":43,"_updatedAt":44,"author":45,"categories":62,"content":72,"excerpt":132,"headerImage":133,"metaDescription":138,"metaKeywords":139,"metaTitle":140,"openGraphImage":141,"openGraphImageUrl":136,"publishedAt":145,"slug":146,"tags":7,"title":148},"2026-03-20T20:02:04Z","0dbf904f-d190-402c-adbc-ff0e1f783197","S4s3yaI81wNC0q4jXoyzbj","article","2026-03-20T20:20:11Z",{"_createdAt":46,"_id":47,"_rev":48,"_type":49,"_updatedAt":50,"bio":51,"image":52,"name":56,"slug":57,"socialMedia":60},"2025-10-31T00:49:05Z","36780c4d-4cd4-4b24-bd22-7e4babb43cf6","MvNmR47t15uESvmPkYghGn","author","2025-10-31T00:58:00Z","Heidi Roberts has worn just about every hat at Sycamore — from recruiting, scheduling, and credentialing to account management and team leadership. Her experience building and leading recruiter training, writing operational playbooks, and refining internal processes gives her a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective on what truly shapes the physician experience.\n\nShe’s passionate about making sure every doctor who partners with Sycamore feels valued, supported, and seen. Whether it’s improving systems or reimagining how Sycamore serves its physicians, Heidi’s focus is simple: create a seamless, human experience that puts doctors first.",{"_type":53,"asset":54},"image",{"url":55},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/00ed8f95761bea80c92695e1087b8c8cda37c4dd-2413x2648.jpg","Heidi Roberts",{"_type":58,"current":59},"slug","heidi-roberts",{"linkedin":61},"https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-b-roberts/",[63],{"_createdAt":64,"_id":65,"_rev":66,"_type":67,"_updatedAt":68,"backgroundColor":69,"borderColor":70,"textColor":70,"title":71},"2025-11-11T23:19:11Z","54c7a10e-c9b3-42d6-8ac4-b3099f8a0d47","Q8aVcOObWdSMmILSu3zYAl","category","2025-11-11T23:19:20Z","Green ","black","Partner Perspectives",[73,84,92,100,108,124],{"_key":74,"_type":75,"children":76,"markDefs":82,"style":83},"08bc71c35232","block",[77],{"_key":78,"_type":79,"marks":80,"text":81},"22ab297ca8570","span",[],"Talking about compensation can feel harmless. It often starts as curiosity or even an attempt to help a colleague. In locums environments, however, openly discussing exact rates with hospital staff or other physicians can have unintended consequences that affect everyone involved.",[],"normal",{"_key":85,"_type":75,"children":86,"markDefs":91,"style":83},"b09526e80aef",[87],{"_key":88,"_type":79,"marks":89,"text":90},"ed4bcb3d10a80",[],"Hospitals and contract management groups rely on locums coverage to solve short term staffing challenges. Locums physicians are typically compensated at higher hourly rates because they are traveling, stepping into unfamiliar systems, and helping stabilize departments in transition. When those rates are discussed openly within the hospital, it can create tension among permanent staff and leadership. Smaller sites in particular may begin to see locums not as a helpful solution but as a financial threat. Concerns can arise that employed physicians will leave to pursue locums work, or that coverage costs will become harder to manage.",[],{"_key":93,"_type":75,"children":94,"markDefs":99,"style":83},"ef7e542caa42",[95],{"_key":96,"_type":79,"marks":97,"text":98},"1010fed35fe90",[],"In some situations, one poorly handled conversation can damage trust to the point where a group decides not to use locums coverage at all. That decision affects far more than a single assignment. It can limit future opportunities for physicians, create resentment within departments, and ultimately make staffing challenges even harder to solve. Maintaining professionalism and discretion around compensation helps protect both the physician’s reputation and the stability of the working relationship between staffing partners and facilities.",[],{"_key":101,"_type":75,"children":102,"markDefs":107,"style":83},"4257991477f9",[103],{"_key":104,"_type":79,"marks":105,"text":106},"a473fdb5e72b0",[],"Most physicians are not trying to win a comparison game. They are looking for sustainable income, reliable schedules, and meaningful professional experiences. The strongest outcomes usually come from thoughtful partnership and open conversations about market conditions, timing, and long-term goals. If there is ever uncertainty about where you stand, the most productive step is not comparing numbers in the break room. It is having a strategic conversation with the people who are actively working to advocate for you.",[],{"_key":109,"_type":75,"children":110,"markDefs":120,"style":83},"caf0cbda6b3c",[111,115],{"_key":112,"_type":79,"marks":113,"text":114},"f583cf1815ea0",[],"If you would like to better understand why locums rates vary in the first place, you can read more in our related article, ",{"_key":116,"_type":79,"marks":117,"text":119},"1ff8469ff16d",[118],"fa1f157618fd","\"Locums Pay Isn’t One Size Fits All. And That’s a Good Thing.\"",[121],{"_key":118,"_type":122,"href":123},"link","https://sycamoredocs.com/blog/locums-pay-isn-t-one-size-fits-all-and-that-s-a-good-thing",{"_key":125,"_type":75,"children":126,"markDefs":131,"style":83},"c704317f143e",[127],{"_key":128,"_type":79,"marks":129,"text":130},"3103e48cad120",[],"",[],"Discussing compensation at the hospital may feel harmless, but it can affect trust, reputation, and even future locums coverage.",{"_type":53,"alt":134,"asset":135,"caption":137},"Two emergency medicine locum physicians discussing assignments and compensation in a hospital lounge.",{"url":136},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/0bd061c3c444737f1e6401a3d7586c40b5f94089-5937x3958.jpg","Professional discretion helps protect relationships, reputations, and future opportunities.","Talking about locums compensation may seem harmless but can impact trust, reputation, and long-term opportunities. Here’s why discretion is important.","locum tenens pay discussion, locums compensation, locums rates, physician professionalism, locum tenens etiquette, discussing salary at hospital, locums reputation, physician staffing relationships, hospital staffing dynamics, contract management groups, locums assignments, physician career strategy, locum tenens opportunities, healthcare staffing partnerships, physician contract awareness, locums workplace professionalism, travel physician jobs, locums best practices, physician negotiation strategy, temporary physician coverage","Discussing Locums Pay at Hospitals Can Backfire",{"_type":53,"asset":142},{"_ref":143,"_type":144},"image-0bd061c3c444737f1e6401a3d7586c40b5f94089-5937x3958-jpg","reference","2026-03-20T20:06:00.000Z",{"_type":58,"current":147},"keep-it-classy-why-doctors-shouldn-t-discuss-rates","Keep it Classy. Why Doctors Shouldn’t Discuss Rates.",[150],{"_id":151,"author":152,"categories":155,"excerpt":157,"headerImage":158,"publishedAt":163,"slug":164,"title":166},"326a5d2a-f267-487f-8353-73c157d660ba",{"image":153,"name":56},{"_type":53,"asset":154},{"url":55},[156],{"_createdAt":64,"_id":65,"_rev":66,"_type":67,"_updatedAt":68,"backgroundColor":69,"borderColor":70,"textColor":70,"title":71},"Your CV is more than a résumé. Learn how to protect it, control where it's submitted, and avoid limiting future locum tenens opportunities.",{"_type":53,"alt":159,"asset":160,"caption":162},"A passport filled with travel stamps symbolizes a physician's CV being submitted to multiple locum tenens opportunities and the importance of protecting where it goes.",{"url":161},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/8f9f1c8d82c7776097c37a8b208cd16a14856961-2592x1944.jpg","A well-traveled passport is great. A well-traveled CV? Maybe not.","2026-08-06T21:40:00.000Z",{"_type":58,"current":165},"your-cv-shouldn-t-have-more-frequent-flyer-miles-than-you-do","Your CV Shouldn't Have More Frequent Flyer Miles Than You Do",{"items":168,"title":182},[169,171,173,176,178,179],{"internalPage":170,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":15},{"parentPage":7,"slug":13,"title":14},{"internalPage":172,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":20},{"parentPage":7,"slug":18,"title":19},{"internalPage":174,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":26},{"parentPage":175,"slug":24,"title":25},{"slug":13,"title":14},{"internalPage":177,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":10},{"parentPage":7,"slug":8,"title":9},{"internalPage":7,"link":34,"subItems":7,"title":35},{"internalPage":7,"link":180,"subItems":7,"title":181},"/contact","Contact","Footer",1793362663074]